So, Google’s at it again. They’re rolling out Gemini, a shiny new feature that injects summaries directly into search results. On the surface, this might seem helpful, but it’s causing a pretty big issue for people who actually create content.
Here’s the problem in simple terms: Why would anyone publish valuable content if Google’s just going to summarize it and keep the clicks?
The websites that provide the information are left with nothing—no credit, no clicks, no traffic. And as we know, traffic is everything in the online world. No traffic means no ad revenue, no affiliate sales, and less visibility. Essentially, Google is extracting all the value from the hard work content creators put in, while leaving them empty-handed.
The internet thrives on information economics. People put time and effort into creating valuable resources, tutorials, and guides in exchange for traffic, which translates into income or exposure. When Google puts a summary right in front of the user, there’s no reason for them to visit the original site.
If content creators can’t benefit from their work, why would they continue producing high-quality resources? Over time, this could lead to fewer helpful guides, tutorials, and insightful articles being published. The incentive to put out well-researched, thoughtful content decreases if the traffic (and revenue) dries up.
Many content creators are already feeling frustrated. Why spend time and effort making something if a third-party service is going to deliver it to users on a silver platter?
I don’t have a magic solution to this problem. But that doesn’t mean we’re out of options. We, as content creators, need to adapt and explore new strategies.
If you’ve got thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them. Let’s figure this out together.